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In 1957, less than a decade after writer Stuart K. Hine wrote the 1949 hymn “How Great Thou Art,” vocalist George Beverly Shea introduced the song to U.S. audiences during one of preacher Billy Graham’s crusades at New York’s Madison Square Garden. According to author Don Cusic’s book The Sound of Light, Shea performed the song nearly 100 times during the 16-week crusade, which averaged 19,000 in attendance each night.
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Since then, “How Great Thou Art” has become one of the most well-known hymns, sung weekly in congregations around the world and performed by notable artists such as Elvis Presley, who made the song the title track to his second gospel project in 1967 and won two Grammys for his recordings of the song, including best inspirational performance and best sacred performance. In 2011, Carrie Underwood earned a hit with her version of the song, and later included it on her 2021 gospel album, My Savior. The song was included on a list of “365 Songs of the Century” released in 2001 by the Recording Industry of America and the National Endowment for the Arts.
To honor the 75-year anniversary of “How Great Thou Art,” sixteen CCM and country artists came together to update the song with a new verse and creating “How Great Thou Art (Until That Day),” which releases today. Chris Tomlin (“Holy Forever,” “How Great Is Our God”), Matt Redman (“10,000 Reasons”), Lady A member Hillary Scott (“Thy Will”), Cody Carnes, Kari Jobe, solo artist and Maverick City Music member Naomi Raine, TAYA, Ryan Ellis, Jon Reddick, Blessing Offor, Brian Johnson, Jenn Johnson, Matt Maher, Pat Barrett, Benjamin William Hastings, and Mitch Wong joined together to record the new version.
The Stuart Hine Trust, which owns and administers Hine’s catalog, commissioned Redman, as well as writer-artist Wong (a writer on CeCe Winans’ Grammy-winning hit “Believe For It”) to craft a new verse to the song, one that would lend hope and resonance with current events. Maher and Steve Marcia produced the new version, with string arrangement by Tommee Profitt.
“Normally, you can’t adapt this hymn,” Redman tells Billboard. “There is a pattern with old hymns, if they are in the public domain, of adapting them, adding a chorus, reworking them. But with ‘How Great Thou Art,’ the Stuart Hine Trust is still the publisher and normally they would deny anyone who tried to mess with it. So I was quite surprised when they approached and said, ‘Would you like to write a new section?’”
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Hine wrote the song in 1949, though its origins stretch back to an 1800s Swedish hymn. Hine was a missionary in the 1930s, living and traveling in the Carpathian Mountains in Eastern Europe, which now includes Ukraine. Proceeds from the new version of the song will support humanitarian efforts to aid those impacted in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
“We tried to tie into the old verse structure, but with a melodic lift and words saying, ‘Hey, we can’t avoid or ignore that we live in a broken, warring world, and we have to face that, but we’re also going to sing with hope,” Redman says, adding, “I feels like a bit of a weird word, ‘War,’ to put in a hymn, but that’s our reality, whether it’s on a personal level or on a national, actual war level, that’s the world we live in. I don’t want to sing a song that feels escapist or doesn’t engage with reality.”
The artists came together to record vocals at both Gold Pacific Studios in Los Angeles, as well as Nashville’s RCA Studio B — the same Music City studio where Presley recorded his version of “How Great Thou Art” in 1966. “Matt Maher got to play the piano from the Elvis version, so it was quite a special full-circle moment,” Redman notess.
“I felt like we landed on a fresh approach that felt very true to the old hymn,” Redman says. Tomlin begins the song with a solo vocal, followed by Scott. From there, vocalist after vocalist lends their vocal, sometimes solo and other times wrapping in harmonies, building into full-on vocal choruses. “The most wonderful thing for me was all of these people are fantastic vocalists. We’d have Naomi Raine sing, and Kari Jobe and Blessing Offor, then Hillary Scott comes in — I don’t know quite how she carries that completely pure voice, but with that tiny edge to it. The vocals all work so well together.”
Looking ahead in celebrating the song’s 75th anniversary, Redman says that there could be additional versions of “How Great Thou Art” (including the new verse) on the way: “The Stuart Hine Trust has commissioned, I believe, an orchestral version, a choir version, welcoming different versions of the new arrangement as a way of resourcing out to the wider church.”
Grammy winner Chris Tomlin will embark on his first major global headlining trek in over a decade when his Holy Forever World Tour launches in April, Billboard can exclusively reveal.
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Since releasing his debut album in 1993, Tomlin’s name has become synonymous with modern worship music, as the Texas native has issued songs that have evolved into music standards sung by church congregations around the world. He has earned 11 Christian Airplay chart-toppers, including the 15-week No. 1 “Whom Shall I Fear (God of Angel Armies)” and the 18-week No. 1 “Made to Worship.” His 2013 album Burning Lights debuted atop the Billboard 200 chart, becoming the fourth Christian album to hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200.
In addition to Stateside concerts in such cities as Boston, Seattle and Las Vegas, the Holy Forever World Tour will make stops in England, the Netherlands, Germany and Hungary. The trek follows Tomlin’s sold-out U.S. Evening of Worship fall 2023 tour, which wrapped in November.
“I’ve never played in Hungary or Dusseldorf [Germany] — those [cities] near the end of that European run will be brand new for me,” Tomlin tells Billboard of gearing up for the overseas shows. “There’s something about when I’ve played overseas, there’s something about the hunger to those audiences. In America, we have so much — especially even when it comes to Christian music, there’s so many concerts going on and churches on every street. But in a lot of places, that just doesn’t happen. I remember a few places we played around the world, we played a two-hour set and they’re like, ‘Are you kidding me? That’s all you’re going to play?’ So, we played for another two hours. It’s exciting to be part of that. Music is global. The church is global.”
Sibling trio CAIN, known for Christian Airplay chart-toppers “Yes, He Can” and “Rise Up (Lazarus),” as well as the top 10 hit “I’m So Blessed,” will open the U.S. shows on the tour.
“They are the hottest thing going, as far as our genre of music and all the new bands that are coming out,” Tomlin says of the trio’s Taylor, Madison and Logan Cain. “They are resonating with the next generation and their music is so good. They are siblings, so their harmonies are insane. They have such a heart for worship and for connecting with people.”
It also doesn’t hurt that Tomlin’s daughters are big fans of the group. “Every morning when I’m taking my girls to school, we have ‘I’m So Blessed’ cranked up in the car. So to have them on the tour will bring a really different dynamic than I’ve had on my tours.”
He says attendees can expect some onstage collaborations between Tomlin and CAIN. “I think it has to happen,” he says, recalling a recent jam session with the group. “We were playing and writing a bit; I had my guitar with me and the three of them were singing. It was so spontaneous and real and pure. I have a great expectation for those shows.”
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The Holy Forever Tour’s namesake is Tomlin’s 2023 six-week No. 1 Christian Airplay hit “Holy Forever,” which Tomlin wrote with Brian Johnson, Jenn Johnson, Phil Wickham and Jason Ingram.
“I think it’s one of those songs that probably will be one of the anchor songs of my career,” Tomlin says, noting that the writing session drew together separate song and melody ideas from Tomlin, Ingram and Johnson, melding them into “Holy Forever.”
“When it started crystalizing, it was like, ‘Wow, these different parts of songs we all had are coming together,’” Tomlin says, noting the key line from the song, “A thousand generations falling down in worship.” “Generation after generation, we’re just the next one to take the baton and every generation has done it differently,” he says.
Given the song’s global impact, Tomlin has a singular hope for every concert on the upcoming tour.
“I always pray when people are walking through those doors that they sense the grace of God, that on these nights people who are carrying heavy burdens are lifted up again in their soul and they’re reminded of God’s grace, to remind us of something greater than ourselves,” he says.
Pre-sale for Tomlin’s Holy Forever Tour begins Jan. 19, with general on-sale starting Jan. 22 at christomlin.com.
Holy Forever World Tour dates:
Thursday, April 18: Newark, NJ – Prudential CenterFriday, April 19: Hershey, PA – GIANT CenterSaturday, April 20: Boston, MA – Agganis ArenaWednesday, April 24: Tulsa, OK – Mabee CenterThursday, April 25: St Louis, MO – Chaifetz ArenaSaturday, April 27: Kansas City, MO – Cable Dahmer ArenaWednesday, May 1: Spokane, WA – Spokane ArenaThursday, May 2: Everett, WA – Angel of the Winds ArenaFriday, May 3: Portland, OR – Moda CenterThursday, May 9: Fresno, CA – Save Mart CenterFriday, May 10: Anaheim, CA – Honda CenterSaturday, May 11: Henderson, NV – Dollar Loan CenterSunday, May 26: West Sussex, UK – Winston House – Big Church Day OutMonday, May 27: Belfast, United Kingdom (UK) – SSE Arena BelfastTuesday, May 28: Rotterdam, Netherlands (NL) – Ahoy ArenaThursday, May 30: Düsseldorf, Germany (DE) – Mitsubishi Electric Halle – D.LIVESaturday, June 1: Szeged, Hungary -Hungary Szent Gellert Forom (Forum) Stadion – This Is The Day (separate from tour)
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A Nigerian influencer has introduced a new term, “Christian BBL,” to explain a surgical procedure that she had, leaving many online confused.
According to Complex, the Internet was ablaze this week as Sophia Idahosa, known to her followers as Sophiology, posted a video to her YouTube channel to explain getting a surgical procedure that she referred to as a “Christian BBL.” In the 39-minute video, Idahosa explained the procedure to viewers beginning with her visit to Houston cosmetic surgeon Dr. Jung Money to get liposuction and a fat transfer to her hips. She then connected the procedure to her commitment to Christianity and addressed those making comments questioning her thinking behind this for being “judgmental” and “projecting their beliefs.”
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“I have never presented myself to be [a] holy, perfect example,” Idahosa said at the 6:30-minute mark of the video. “I’ve always vouched for the girls that love God and are not accepted by others.” The 29-year-old had been hit with comments calling out her behavior. Later in the video, she stated that “having surgery is one thing, but aftercare is everything.” In a separate video, she explained further saying: “I’m not personally that person. I’m here for anything that makes you look better, feel better, have more confidence and just enjoy your life.”
Her use of the “Christian BBL” phrase had many online perplexed and expressing as much in posts on X, formerly known as Twitter. “I’ve been screaming at the idea of a Christian BBL for the last 13 hours,” wrote one user.
Others who commented jabbed her, with one YouTube commenter saying, “Leave religion out of it. You have the free will to be vain if that is what you want.” Another X user posted a meme featuring Blac Chyna (who has recently undergone surgery to reduce her butt and breasts) superimposed in front of a large cross, making fun of the term.
A Brazilian Butt Lift, or BBL, has become a common surgical procedure for women who want to be curvier, particularly around their hips. According to WebMD, there were 21,823 BBL surgeries done in the U.S. in 2020. That number dropped from 28,076 in 2019, but research suggests that the COVID-19 pandemic contributed to the decline. It’s also regarded as a dangerous procedure, as a report from the Aesthetic Surgery Journal noted that there were one to two fatalities for every 6,000 of those BBL surgeries, the highest such rate among cosmetic surgeries.
After a right-wing preacher targeted her online, Flamy Grant watched as their follower numbers skyrocketed, their album Bible Belt Baby soared to the top of the iTunes Christian charts, and their song “Good Day” earned their first entry on a Billboard chart.
But now, the drag artist, whose very name appears to be a wink at the name of longtime genre mainstay Amy Grant, is setting their sights on the Grammys. In a statement sent to Billboard, Grant says that they had submitted their album for consideration in the annual awards ceremony’s best contemporary Christian music album category, only to find out the project had been removed from the category and placed in the best pop vocal album category.
“I know next-to-nothing about the Grammy nomination process, so when we saw you couldn’t vote for it in best contemporary Christian [music] album, I just assumed that was the end of the road. It was a total shock when an Academy member sent me a message several days later to say she was excited to vote for me in best pop vocal album,” Blake says in the statement. “Pop music is included in the contemporary Christian category. The only logical conclusion I can come to is that someone in the Academy decided my album qualifies as pop, but not as Christian.”
Here is the category description of best contemporary Christian music album, drawn from the 66th annual Grammy Awards rulebook: “For albums — vocal only. Screening criteria: This category recognizes excellence in a solo duo, group, or collaborative performance of contemporary Christian music, including pop, rap/hip-hop, Latin and rock…”
In an official statement shared with Billboard, the Recording Academy confirmed that Grant’s album had been moved into the best pop vocal album category based on “explicit language/content” used in one of the album’s songs. “The Academy is an open and inclusive organization that embraces artists from all backgrounds and genres,” the statement reads.
The song in question is Grant’s “Esther, Ruth and Rahab,” in which Grant celebrates the women of the Bible whose stories are often left unsung. “So I guess the lesson there was God would only hear a prayer/ If it came from a person with a c–k,” she sings in one passage of the song.
When it comes to the gospel and contemporary Christian screening committees, the Academy reiterated that group is made up of “artists, genre experts, songwriters, and producers within the Gospel & CCM genres.” The rules and guidelines for the 2023 ceremony states that “if a genre Screening Committee determines that a recording should be moved to another genre, the recording is forwarded and screened by that genre committee.”
While there is no overt rule against explicit lyrics being included in Christian categories, the Academy reiterated that the re-categorization of works with explicit content is “a standard practice for the Gospel & CCM genre committee, given that the Gospel & CCM Field consists of lyrics-based categories that reflect a Christian worldview.”
A total of 83 albums are vying for nominations for best contemporary Christian music album. Best pop vocal album is a more competitive category, with 128 albums entered this year.
In her statement, Grant asserts that she was not made aware of the screening committee’s practice regarding explicit lyrics. “My faith journey has been long and difficult, but I’m still here, still taking up space in Christianity, still advocating for the inclusion of queer kids like me who grow up in these churches that ignore and oppress them,” she said. “I’m very used to gatekeepers in the worlds of church and Christian music — that’s a big part of why I’ve dedicated myself to this work. But I never expected to encounter religious gatekeeping at the Grammys.”
The focus at the 2023 Dove Awards was on celebrating gospel music in all its forms, but two artists, Lauren Daigle and Tauren Wells used the occasion to address the war between Israel and Hamas, which has been dominating news coverage for the past two weeks.
The Dove Awards were taped on Tuesday Oct. 17, at Allen Arena on the Lipscomb University campus in Nashville. But the thoughts of many there, and around the world, were on events 6,446 miles away. The current crisis began on Oct. 7 when Hamas militants launched a series of surprise attacks on Israeli territory from Gaza, killing defense personnel and civilians and taking hostages.
“In light of what has happened in Israel this week, our eyes need to be opened to what He might be calling us to,” said Daigle, 32, who won her 12th Dove Award that night for best short-form music video of the year (concept) for “Thank God I Do.”
“We have the hope of eternity and the good news of the Gospel,” she added. “We aren’t bringing in messages that tear and divide, we’re bringing in messages that remind people of their worth, that remind children they are valuable and belong in society and remind people that they have something that only God can fulfill. We get to tell them that He is the Great I Am. That He is above the times. That He is the source of hope compared to nothing else this world has to offer. There is nothing as great. He is the light of the world. He is the light of men. He is the bread of life.”
Wells, 37, a five-time Dove Award winner in years past, was more extensive in his remarks.
“The difficulties that people in Israel and Palestine are experiencing, as believers in this room, we understand the weight and the gravity that comes with this conflict. A conflict that started in the house of Abraham and has existed for 4,000 years. We know that ultimately Jesus is going to get His glory. He is going to redeem His people.
“I was so encouraged by this – when Jesus returns, He is going to descend from which he ascended at the Mount of Olives, and He is going to split the mountain in two. Because the God we serve is powerful. At the same time, He is present. He is present with those who are hurting. He is present with those who are broken. The scripture does a beautiful job of painting the portrait of Jesus as the bright and morning star. He is high and above and away from it all. But it continues to describe Him as the lily of the valley. He’s in the dark places, the quiet places, the places of pain and loss.
“So, I just want to express today on behalf of the artists in this faith community here, that we remember Israel tonight. We stand with the people of God and as scripture instructs us, we pray for peace in Jerusalem. Now here’s the thing – we can’t just pray for peace and not understand and identify the Prince of Peace. This conflict will not end until Jesus is the Lord of Israel and Jesus is the Lord of Palestine and Jesus is the Lord of every nation and every tribe and every tongue. There is a day coming at which every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.
“The world could be at war but the church is gonna be in worship. Because we don’t praise God depending upon our circumstances. We praise God depending upon His reputation. And scripture says He is faithful and He is good to every generation. And that means there are generations the world will forget that God will remember. Tonight we celebrate that name of Jesus as we remember the people reeling in pain tonight.”
In addition to hosting, Wells teamed with Davies to perform “Take It All Back” on the show. The two acts recorded the highly commercial, pop-oriented song with We the Kingdom.
Daigle’s 12 Dove Awards include two awards for artist of the year, in 2015 and 2019. Wells’ five include new artist of the year in 2018 – an award Daigle had won in 2015.
Brandon Lake was the top winner at the 54th annual GMA Dove Awards. Tasha Cobbs Leonard, Toby Mac, Blessing Offor and Jeff Pardo each won two awards.
The show was produced by the Gospel Music Association. Jackie Patillo and Justin Fratt served as showrunners and executive producers, alongside Curtis Stoneberger and Paul Wright as producers. Russell E. Hall returned as director, Michael Nolan as scriptwriter, Scott Moore and Go Live Productions as production manager.
The show aired Friday (Oct. 20) on TBN and The TBN App and was also simulcast on SiriusXM The Message. An encore performance will air on TBN and The TBN App on Friday, Oct. 27 at 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. ET. To watch the show on demand, go to The TBN App.
The 54th annual GMA Dove Awards will feature a slate of some of the year’s biggest Contemporary Christian and Gospel music hitmakers.
for King & Country, Brandon Lake, Katy Nichole, Tasha Cobbs Leonard, Miel San Marcos and Zach Williams with Walker Hayes are the initial round of performers revealed to be taking the stage at Lipscomb University’s Allen Arena in Nashville, where the show will be taped Oct. 17. Tauren Wells was previously announced as the host of this year’s show.
Lake leads nominations with 11 nods, including artist of the year, and three nominations in the song of the year category. Over the past year, he topped the Christian Airplay chart with his solo song “Gratitude,” currently in the top five on that chart with “Praise You Anywhere,” and earned a top 10 Christian Airplay hit with the Brooke Ligertwood duet “Honey in the Rock,” and No. 11 as part of Maverick City Music’s “Fear Is Not My Future,” also featuring Chandler Moore.
for King & Country is up for artist of the year, as well as for pop/contemporary recorded song of the year alongside Jordin Sparks for “Love Me Like I Am,” which spent two weeks atop the Christian Airplay chart earlier this year. The sibling duo is currently in the top 10 on the Christian Airplay chart with “What Are We Waiting For?,” the title track of their latest album.
Cobbs Leonard has three nominations: gospel worship album of the year (for Hymns (Live)), traditional gospel recorded song of the year (“It Is Well”) and gospel worship recorded song of the year (“The Moment (Live)”). Earlier this year, she earned a two-week Gospel Airplay No. 1 with “The Moment,” and a top 10 Hot Gospel Songs hit with the Lecrae collaboration “Your Power.”
Nichole is nominated for new artist of the year, while her “In Jesus Name (God of Possible)” is up for song of the year. “God Is in This Story,” her collaboration with Big Daddy Weave, is up for pop/contemporary recorded song of the year. Her album Jesus Changed My Life is also nominated for pop/contemporary album of the year. She is currently in the top 5 on the Billboard Christian Airplay chart with “Hold On.”
Williams, known for hits including “Old Church Choir,” will team with “Fancy Like” hitmaker Walker Hayes for a performance, presumably a rendition of their collaboration “Jesus’ Fault,” which is up for bluegrass/country/roots recorded song of the year.
Miel San Marcos is nominated for Spanish Language recorded song of the year, for “Coritos (En Vivo).” Meanwhile, Miel San Marcos Kids is nominated for children’s recorded song of the year for “Danzo En El Rio.”
Tickets for the GMA Dove Awards‘ Oct. 17 taping at Allen Arena have already sold out. The awards show will air exclusively on TBN and the TBN App on Oct. 20 at 8 p.m. ET and 10 p.m. ET, with an audio simulcast airing on SiriusXM. Encore presentations of the broadcast will air on TBN on Oct. 27 at 8 p.m. ET and 10 p.m. ET.
Lauren Daigle’s “Thank God I Do” reaches its 20th week atop Billboard’s streaming-, airplay- and sales-based Hot Christian Songs chart (dated Sept. 30). With its latest week at the summit, Daigle becomes the first soloist with two No. 1s to have reigned for at least 20 weeks each; her crossover smash “You Say” dominated for a record 132 frames beginning in July 2018.
Daigle’s current No. 1 becomes one of seven hits to have led Hot Christian Songs for at least 20 weeks since the list launched in June 2003.
Longest-leading Hot Christian Songs No. 1s:
132 weeks, “You Say,” Lauren Daigle, beginning in July 2018
61 weeks, “Oceans (Where Feet May Fail),” Hillsong United, beginning in June 2013
37 weeks, “What a Beautiful Name,” Hillsong Worship, beginning in February 2017
26 weeks, “Something in the Water,” Carrie Underwood, beginning in October 2014
24 weeks, “In Jesus’ Name (God of Possible),” Katy Nichole, beginning in March 2022)
23 weeks, “Word of God Speak,” MercyMe, beginning in August 2003
20 weeks (to date), “Thank God I Do,” Lauren Daigle, beginning in May 2023
Notably, six of the seven longest-leading Hot Christian Songs No. 1s feature female lead singers. In addition to Daigle, Underwood and Nichole’s titles, Hillsong United’s “Oceans” sports lead vocals by Taya Smith and Brooke Ligertwood is out front on sister act Hillsong Worship’s “What a Beautiful Name.”
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“Thank God I Do” awarded Daigle her sixth Hot Christian Songs No. 1, the most among women. (Overall, MercyMe leads with 13 No. 1s.)
The song tallied 5.3 million in all-format airplay audience, 2.2 million official streams and 1,000 downloads sold Sept. 15-21, according to Luminate. It dominated Christian Digital Song Sales for 23 weeks, Christian Streaming Songs for 10 weeks and Christian Airplay for one frame.
Daigle co-authored the piano ballad with Jason Ingram, while Jeff Bhasker, P!nk and Nate Ruess are also credited as writers, as the song contains elements of P!nk’s “Just Give Me a Reason,” featuring Ruess (which the three co-penned), a three-week No. 1 on the all-genre multi-metric Billboard Hot 100 in 2013.
Cortez Crowns Gospel
On Gospel Airplay, Zacardi Cortez rolls up his sixth No. 1 with “Lord Do It for Me (Live in Memphis).” The song, which he co-wrote, increased by 6% in plays during the latest tracking week.
Cortez, based in Houston, last led the chart with “You’ve Been Good to Me” for three weeks starting in November 2022. He first reigned as featured, with Shawn McLemore, on James Fortune & FIYA’s 19-week No. 1 “I Believe” in 2010-11.
Cortez ties for the sixth-most No. 1s on Gospel Airplay, which began in 2005. Kirk Franklin and Tamela Mann lead with 10 apiece.
ASCAP will honor contemporary Christian singer-songwriter Matthew West with the Golden Note Award during ASCAP’s Christian Music Awards celebration on Oct. 2 in Nashville. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news The invitation-only event celebrates the writers and publishers of ASCAP’s most-performed songs in Christian music over the […]
Nearly a decade after earning a 10-week No. 1 run atop Billboard’s Christian Airplay chart with “This Is Amazing Grace,” California native and worship leader Phil Wickham has been enjoying a solid run of radio hits over the past few years.
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In 2021, he had two multi-week chart toppers, with “House of the Lord” and “Battle Belongs” each spending four weeks at the chart’s pinnacle. This year he returned to the Christian Airplay chart’s pole position for two weeks with “This Is Our God,” from his forthcoming 10th studio album, I Believe, out Friday (Aug. 18 on Fair Trade/Columbia).
He recently made a strong showing when the GMA Dove Awards nominations were announced, earning four nominations including the coveted artist of the year category, as well as a song of the year nod for his role in writing the Casting Crowns hit “Then Christ Came,” and a worship song of the year nod for “This Is Our God.”
“It’s an honor,” says Wickham, who last year picked up two GMA Dove Awards trophies. “It’s just God’s grace. It feels like God taking some loaves and fishes and multiplying it to a place where someone would say, ‘This is worth recognizing,’ which is crazy.”
Wickham has become a standout in a new generation of worship leaders in the Contemporary Christian Music space, though his roots in the genre are familial and deep, as the son of members of the 1970s Christian band Parable.
“There’s a service and a thoughtfulness to the listener in worship music,” he says. “I’m not writing this just to share my story. I’m writing in a way that this is everybody’s story, and to give them a new prayer to sing back to God, this is something for us to do together.”
I Believe finds Wickham delving deeper into songwriting and collaboration, alongside his frequent collaborator Jonathan Smith, who is the sole producer on the entire project — an increasing rarity these days.
“It was such a partnership, from choosing songs to getting hyped about the vision for the album,” Wickham says. “We worked on the album on and off for over a year. He wrote on ‘I Believe,’ ‘Sunday is Coming’ and ‘The Jesus Way. I’m kind of sporadic when it comes to making albums and I want to hear every option before I decide on something, musically, which is a producer’s worst nightmare, in a lot of ways. But I love working with him so much because he’s the same way—he wants all the options in front of him.”
Nearly two years ago, Wickham, Smith and others visited the Charlotte, North Carolina campus of the multi-site megachurch Elevation Church, known for the hit worship ensemble Elevation Worship. Wickham and company met for a two-day writing retreat with fellow singer-songwriter Brandon Lake and Elevation Worship pastor/songwriter Steven Furtick. They made the most of the short duration, writing for over 12 hours each day.
“I don’t think we even left to eat,” he says. Numerous songs on the 14-track album came from those sessions, including “This Is Our God,” “Praise the Lord,” and “Relationship.”
“Steven is a writer on so many songs that have just blanketed church music across the world. He understands how to dig deeper to find new ways of phrasing things. But a lot of the songs end up coming from an initial seed of an idea that I have. I just don’t want to go into a session and be like, ‘Gimme your best ideas.’ Like with ‘The Jesus Way,’ I had all the verses and the chorus and was like, ‘I need a bridge.’”
“The Jesus Way” originated in 2020, as a poem that would come to serve as both reminder and self-challenge to live his life with love, grace and forgiveness. “Jesus met people where they are at. He met the poor, visited with sick people that no one else wanted to be around,” Wickham says. “For years, I thought the poem was just for me, but earlier this year, I just felt like people should hear it.
He was so moved by the song’s challenge that he hesitated to record it. “I was reading the lyrics and realizing how far I was from that being the reality of my life,” Wickham says. “I can be selfish and quick to be impatient with people. I’ll think, ‘God’s been so gracious to me and I’m not showing grace right now.’ I hesitated to record it because it’s like, I know how much I fall short of it. But it was written and it felt right, but it was a three-year process to write that song.”
As collaborative in the recording process as he is the writing room, Wickham features two women performers on the album: Tiffany Hudson on “Psalm 23” and Naomi Raine on “Holy Moment.” “Psalm 23” takes the biblical chapter and sets it to music and melody and originated from a plan for a project that would incorporate as many phrases directly from the Psalms as possible.
“I thought it would be fun to put out a Psalms project, making the music feel non-traditional and more singer-songwriter, moodier. I wrote like four or five Psalms, and the project just didn’t happen.” Wickham later came across some of his old voice memos and realized the song would make a perfect fit for his project, a moment of “beauty, and sincerity and sweetness,” he says, “and I knew Tiffany’s voice would sound perfect.”
His collaboration with Naomi Raine on “Holy Moment” came by way of an inspired moment, after the two musicians had been on the same tour. “I wanted another moment on the album where you hear more than just my voice and I thought if I could have anyone on the album, it would be Naomi,” he says.
He didn’t even have a song written at the time he asked her to record with him, but when they looked at their calendars, by happenstance, they both had the same evening open in Nashville (“It was crazy because neither of us are from Nashville,” said Wickham, who still resides in California).
They set up shop in a studio and a conversation about holiness evolved into singing and Wickham estimates they had the song written within an hour or so. “We had no title for it, we didn’t know what we would end up creating, but it became such a song in itself, a holy moment in the studio, we had to call it ‘Holy Moment.’” Wickham says.
Wickham, who is repped by WME, is incorporating several of the album’s songs while on the road on his recently-launched Summer Worship Nights Tour, co-headlined by Lake, with KB offering direct support. Wickham and Lake met years ago, when a mutual friend recommended Lake’s music to Wickham. The two began co-writing together and formed a fast friendship. They now share the same management home, Breit Group.
“We share a lot of the same team members and we wanted to go on the road together and throw a praise party, with as many people as possible,” Wickham says.
Cochren & Co. earns its first No. 1 on Billboard’s Christian Airplay chart as “Running Home” ascends to the top of the list dated June 10. The single increased by 4% to 6.4 million audience impressions in the week ending June 1, according to Luminate. “Running Home” was penned by group leader Michael Cochren, Matthew […]